Carolyn Ducey, Ardis B. James Curator of Collections for the International Quilt Museum, will retire Jan. 31 after 27 years of service to the museum.
A retirement reception is planned for 4 to 6 p.m. Jan. 10 in the museum’s reception hall. To RSVP, click here.
“My career at the International Quilt Museum has been a dream come true,” Ducey said. “I’m proud to have had an impact on quilt research and lucky to have shared what we’ve built with new audiences from around the world.”
Ducey’s career began as a doctoral student alongside the group of quilts that established the museum. In 1997, Robert and Ardis James donated nearly 1,000 quilts to the university, forming the International Quilt Study Center — the antecedent to what is known as the International Quilt Museum — where Ducey initially worked as a teacher’s assistant.
Shortly after, Ducey led a team of volunteers tasked with accessioning the newly donated quilts and gave tours of early exhibitions of the collection. After a brief stint as collections manager, Ducey was hired as the museum’s first curator of collections in 1998.
“It’s been a really, really fun ride,” she said. “I’ve been able to make friends all over the world through quilts.”
Ducey has helped create stunning exhibitions year after year, including the museum’s inaugural exhibition, “Quilts in Common”; “Old World Quilts”; and “Whimsy,” a fanciful exhibition that will see a sequel at the museum this month.
Ducey was the co-author of “What’s in a Name: Inscribed Quilts” and co-editor and contributing author of "American Quilts in the Industrial Age, 1760-1870." In addition to her master’s degree from Indiana University, she earned a doctorate in textiles, clothing and design, with an emphasis in quilt studies, from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in 2010.
Ducey was inducted into the Nebraska Quilter’s Hall of Fame in 2023. In retirement, she plans to work part time on documentation projects at the museum.
“Dr. Ducey’s contributions to the International Quilt Museum and the quilt world cannot be overstated,” said Leslie Levy, Ardis and Robert James Executive Director of the museum. “Her knowledge and expertise have been instrumental to the museum’s growth and success since its inception. We are indebted to her dedication to the museum and to the art form that it stewards.”
